Our History

Our Goals

History

1851 - Our Historical RootsOn the feast of the Epiphany, 1851, 24-year-old Sr. Theresa Hackelmeier arrived at a log cabin in Oldenburg, Indiana, having ignored the social conventions of her day in order to travel alone from her convent home in Vienna, Austria, when her companion turned back. In response to the request of Fr. Francis Joseph Rudolf of Vincennes, she had come to found an American religious congregation at Oldenburg that would teach the German-speaking children of southeastern Indiana.
1936 - The Beginning Originally known as St. Francis Normal, the school became a four-year, state-approved institution which merged with Immaculate Conception Junior College to form Marian College. In November 1936, the Sisters of St. Francis purchased the former James Allison estate, “Riverdale,” as a site for Marian College.
1937 - Marian College Is Born In 1937, the college moved to Indianapolis under the direction of Mother M. Clarissa Dillhoff, after securing a state charter and purchasing the Riverdale estate in 1936. Allison Mansion became the new location of Marian College. The building housed the library, administrative offices, classrooms, and sleeping quarters for the Sisters with a full time enrollment of 24 students.
Official dedication ceremonies took place on Wednesday, September 8, 1937. Bishop Joseph E. Ritter celebrated mass in the college chapel and delivered the sermon. On Wednesday, September 15, 1937 students and faculty assembled in the chapel for a mass celebrated by Father John J. Doyle; the mass marked the official opening of Marian College. In recent years, September 8 – 15 has been recognized as Founders' Week.
1948 - Expansion, Co-Education, And Accreditation Success brought a need for expansion and, in 1948, the college began an expansion program that included the addition of Clare Hall, the Gymnasium, and Marian Hall. In 1954, as Marian Hall was completed, the school became the first co-educational Catholic college in Indiana. Two years later the North Central Association accredited Marian College.
1976 - Accreditation For Teachers And Nurses The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education formally accepted all teacher education programs of the college in 1976. The Indiana State Board of Nursing approved the associate level nursing curriculum in 1977 and the baccalaureate program in 1987. The National League of Nursing has accredited both programs - the associate in 1986 and the baccalaureate in 1992.
2000 - Marian's College's Adult Programs With a long history of serving both non-traditional and traditional students, launching a degree program for adults was a natural extension of Marian College's educational mission. Marian's Adult Programs (MAP) offers bachelor and associate degrees in business.
2001 - Leadership For A New Millennium On November 2, 2001, Daniel J. Elsener was inaugurated as Marian College's eighth president.
2009 - Marian College Becomes Marian University On July 1, 2009, Marian College became Marian University. Over the past several years, the college grew and progressed through expansions of the academic curriculum; enhancing the faith dimension on campus; creating a more vibrant campus life, with the addition of a football team and marching band; and adding and renovating buildings. The new name better reflects what the institution is becoming: a great Catholic university.
2010 - Marian University Announces College of Osteopathic MedicineOn January 15, 2010, Marian University announced plans to begin a college of osteopathic medicine; the first in Indiana.
Marian University is owned and sponsored by the Sisters of St. Francis, Oldenburg, a community of Franciscan religious that celebrated 150 years of faith, leadership, and education in Indiana on September 15, 2001.